Toronto Maple Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok experienced a setback in his recovery from a sports hernia and his return to the lineup remains a mystery.

Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving spoke with reporters after the team practiced on Monday and said that Jarnkrok will travel to New York to meet with a specialist this week before determining the next steps. This development comes after Leafs coach Craig Berube was asked on Saturday for an update on the 33-year-old’s recovery. Berube told them that there was not a specific target date for his return to action.

“It’s tough on that right now,” Berube said Saturday. “I can’t give you a timeline on him right now. He’s still a ways away still.”

It is worth noting that Jarnkrok was making more appearances in solo reps before practices this past week which seemed to indicate he was making strides in his recovery. It is unclear at the time of filing whether the setback occurred during on-ice or off-ice training and how much more time he will miss.

Jarnkrok has been on LTIR since the beginning of the regular season due to the aforementioned sports hernia. He had already seen limited minutes in the preseason before he suffered a setback that has kept him on the sidelines indefinitely. Given that he was already a potential trade candidate going into the season, this latest obstacle leaves one to wonder where things stand for him long-term in Toronto. The Leafs are already dealing with a tight roster clog that they are working to solve once Jani Hakanpaa and Auston Matthews are ready to return, so figuring out what to do once Jarnkrok comes back will make the decision all the more tricky whenever the time comes.

In 52 games with the Leafs last season, Jarnkrok posted 21 points (10 goals and 11 assists) while going scoreless in seven playoff games. He has two years remaining on a four-year contract he signed with the Leafs in 2022, which carries an AAV of $2.1 million.